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Youths at First Ward Community Center share 'Saginawesome' view of city

LACER program

Yahmya Kneeland, 14, middle, figures out what key she will be holding during a performance at First Ward Community Services, 1410 N. 12th in Saginaw, Thursday, April 17, 2014. The performance was part of First Ward's after-school LACER program.
(Neil Barris | Mlive.com)

SAGINAW, MI — A local after school program’s theater group rallied together to tear down negative labels cast upon Saginaw, and replace them with positive ones.

First Ward Community Services’ Literacy Arts Culture Enrichment Recreation after-school program hosted about 100 community members in First Ward’s gymnasium on Thursday, April 17, for Operation Occupy: A resurrection of our city.

Each of the theater group members, as well as First Ward employees and volunteers sported army fatigues. It was a symbol of unity, an employee said.

First Ward's youth theater group reveal a Saginawesome mural during Operation Occupy, a movement to erase negative stereotypes of Saginaw and replace them with positive images.Bob Johnson | MLive.com

Operation Occupy is the brainchild of Art Director Glecia Tatum, a Saginaw transplant via North Carolina.

Tatum came to Saginaw in 2003. She said cares about Saginaw because she is raising her children here.

“Through our efforts through the five keys — faith, education, business, community and justice — we can unlock the potential Saginaw has.”

During the skit, youths in the theater handed giant cardboard cutouts of keys to community leaders. Each had positive words on them — including faith, endurance, relationships and communication.

Each key was placed on a board that held negative words like Sagnasty, crime, violence and poor schools.

Once the positive keys were hanging over the negative words, the board was pulled down to reveal the word "Sagin-Awesome."

“Operation Occupy is about pulling down the negatives and pushing forward the positives,” Tatum said.

Theater group member Aaron Jackson said the performance showed there is good in Saginaw.

“Waking up Saginaw to show them that everything isn’t all bad and stuff,” Jackson said.

Jackson, 14, went on to say that Saginaw needs to be unified.

“We have to come together as one, as a community, not the East Side versus the South Side or the city of Saginaw versus the township. We are one.”

Representing the faith community, the Rev. Kareem Bowen of Potter’s Touch, said change starts at home.

“First Ward is my community,” Bowen said. “I believe that if you are going to do anything great, you must do it at home first.”

Rob Brown, who owns Hardware XPress, 2730 E. Genesee near Webber, said the business voice has been lost in Saginaw.

“Small businesses are typically the ones who give back to local community events,” Brown said. “Furthermore, money spent at a local small business goes right back into the community at a rate of $70 for every $100 spent. The same cannot be said for large corporations. If the business voice is to be realized, we need your help today.”

Carlton D. Jenkins

Education was represented by Saginaw School District Superintendent Carlton Jenkins.

“Every parent sends their kid to school with the expectation that they will return home better,” Jenkins told the audience. “I live in Saginaw. Am I leaving? No. I turned down a job in my hometown. I told them I have some work to do in Saginaw.

“Education? We can do it at the highest level. All of our graduation rates are higher than the national average and higher than they were three years ago. I am so ready to stand up every day for all of our children.”

Ralph Martin

Saginaw Fire Marshal Ralph Martin can be seen at various community events throughout the year. For that reason, the theater group chose him to represent community. Martin encouraged the youths to follow their dreams.

“I didn’t always want to be a firefighter,” Martin said. “But you never know what happens in life…once I became a firefighter, I knew I wanted to be in this position.”

He continued, “When you do a job that you love doing, it’s almost not like you have a job.”

Tatum called Beau Carnes and his wife Teagan to the stage. In 2008, the Carneses moved from Midland to an East Side Saginaw neighborhood in the Houghton-Jones area that was plagued with crime.

“We talk about staying,” Tatum said. “We talk about occupying, but they are living it.”

View full sizeBeau and Teagan Carnes laugh while their 16-month-old son Corwin sits between them. The Carneses moved to the Houghton-Jones neighborhood in 2008.Danielle McGrew | MLive.com

Beau Carnes said his family plans to live in Saginaw their whole lives.

“Something that inspired us to move to Saginaw was our faith in Jesus,” he said. “Saginaw is the kind of neighborhood he would live in.

“We love Saginaw; we love our neighborhood. We try to spread the word as much as possible that Saginaw is a great place to live.”